Make Mind-Blowing Weed Mac And Cheese In 2 Simple Steps

When you’re dealing with a case of the munchies, sometimes there’s nothing more irresistible than a piping hot bowl of mac and cheese. It’s easy on the wallet, even easier to make, and it just seems to hit the spot.

But what if you’ve been approaching things all wrong? What if smoking weed and then eating mac and cheese was just one step too many? Why not combine what already goes so well together, and make weed-infused mac and cheese? Here are two methods for making THC mac and cheese, and each one requires only two simple steps.

Weed Mac and Cheese Method 1: Cheesecloth and Cream

It’s especially rewarding to make things from scratch when you’re cooking with cannabis. Even if you’ve got a box of ready-to-make mac and cheese at home, it’ll be way better if you do it this way. It’s not that hard, and the rewards will be heavenly.

This method employs a cheesecloth and heavy cream for infusing the cannabis. Then, it’s up to you what blend of cheese you want to melt. This recipe is heavy, but the slow-cook method and cream means this mac and cheese will deliver a potent cannabis experience.

Step 1

This step covers the decarboxylation process. You’ve got to activate the THC in your cannabis. Otherwise, you lose out on your weed’s psychoactive effects. You’ll still have delicious mac and cheese, but we want mind-blowing weed mac and cheese.

Use a grinder to crush up one-eighth of an ounce of cannabis—that’s 3/5 grams for you keeping score at home—and ball it up in a cheesecloth. Use string to tie it shut., and toss it in the cream

Next, put 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream in a small sauce pot. Turn it to a low temperature. Then toss in your cheesecloth full of bud.

Keep the cream warm and don’t let it boil. If you do, you’re losing out on precious THC. Make it too hot, and the cannabinoids break down. Keep a close eye on the cream for 45 minutes at the low temperature. You’ll be glad you had the patience for this process.

Step 2

Here’s the simple mac and cheese part. Get a pot of water going for the pasta. We suggest using pasta shells, but ziti or whatever kind of pasta will do. Go for some of that green spinach pasta to give your weed mac and cheese a strong cannabis vibe—and to give your roommates a heads up!

While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter up a casserole dish. Get out your cheese. A good 4-cheese combo might be something like cheddar, smoked mozzarella, Parmesan, and Gouda. But really, this one is entirely up to you. Go wild, go gourmet, go classic. All in all, you want about three cups of cheese.

Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and toss it into a bowl with your cheeses of choice. You might want to add in a bit more butter. Finally, stir in the heavy cannabis cream you’ve been waiting on so patiently.

Season the top with breadcrumbs and pepper, and maybe some seasoned salt or paprika. Toss it in the oven. Again, don’t leave it in there for too long. Just enough to get the cheese lightly melted and bubbling around the edges of the casserole dish.

Simple, delicious, medicated mac and cheese. Enjoy!

Weed Mac and Cheese Method 2: Box and Cannabutter

All right, all right, sometimes you just don’t have the time or the patience to crank out a homemade batch of weed mac and cheese. You’re probably asking: Is there a faster way?

Absolutely. Mac and cheese doesn’t come in an easy-to-make box for nothing. For this to work, however, you’re going to need to have some cannabutter on hand. If you live in a weed-legal state, just stop by your local dispensary to pick some up. For this recipe, you’ll just need three tablespoons.

If you don’t have any cannabutter, it’s easy to make your own. You can even use your unwanted stems to make a batch. Once you’ve got your cannabutter, you’re ready to make some weed-infused mac and cheese. Here’s our second method.

Step 1

Make a box of stove-top mac and cheese according to the instructions on the side of the box. Step one: Boil the pasta. Simple as that.

Step 2

When the pasta is done cooking, it’s time to add the butter. For weed mac and cheese, substitute fresh cannabutter for regular butter.

Two to three tablespoons is the usual amount called for by these box recipes. It takes somewhere in the ballpark of half an eighth (1.75 grams) to make that much cannabutter. However, you’re way better off making cannabutter in a large batch, considering the time it takes.

Crash Course In Cannabutter

Knowing how to make seriously amazing weed mac and cheese, or any other edible means knowing how to make the best cannabutter. Unfortunately, not many folks know the right way to do it. So here’s how.

Fill a medium-sized pot with a few inches of water and bring it to a boil. Add the stick of butter to the boiling water and watch it melt. Once the butter melts, turn the heat down and wait for the liquid to cool a bit. Then stir in your powdered cannabis.

Let the weed, butter, and water mixture cook for 2.5 hours. It’s worth the wait. The slow-cooking process at a low heat ensures that you get the maximum amount of THC out your product. If you rush this step, you’re not using your cannabis as efficiently as you could.

Keep the mixture at low heat and make sure it never boils. Give it a stir every 15 minutes or so. You’ll see the mixture become much thicker and darker. At the end of the cooking period, you need to strain out the cannabis. Cheesecloth is best for this since it catches much of the plant residue.

Let the mixture cool until it looks thick and oozy, and pour it through the cheesecloth into a large bowl. Lift up the cheesecloth and strain out the cannabis. Let it cool to room temperature then toss it in the fridge. The cannabutter will solidify into a hard disk floating on top of the water.

Adam is a staff writer for Green Rush Daily who hails from Corvallis, Oregon. He’s an artist, musician, and higher educator with deep roots in the cannabis community. His degrees in literature and psychology drive his interest in the therapeutic use of cannabis for mind and body wellness.